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Category Archives: Stage/Broadway

Nassau, Bahamas – This year’s national costume worn by Miss Universe Grand Bahama wowed the nation as Tomii Culmer paraded in the ‘Sea Goddess’ outfit created by Nassau designer, Javotte Bethel. The intricate back piece shaped like a half clam shell was covered in treasures from the sea, along with a sheer fitted bodice with jewels in all the right places looked magical on this year’s winner. Now that Tomii won the title Miss Universe Bahamas, this fabulously piece will be seen before a global audience at the next Miss Universe! “Tomii and I have known each other for a while and certainly she’s aware that Javotte House of Couture produces unique designs. She engaged me after her entry in the Miss Universe hoping for a design that might increase her chances of the win,” said Bethel. “She said she was open to my creativity and would fully support my concept.”

– – “I started this project with the expectation that this costume would be seen worldwide, I wanted it to highlight the Bahamas’ most admirable amenities – its water and life thereunder ,” said Bethel.”

Tomii Culmer, 2014 Miss Universe Bahamas.

The aquatic theme was the obvious move, and this concept had tons of creative potential allowing us to use a wide range of sea-life trinkets. With all the press coverage around the preservation of Bahamas’ reef systems recently, we thought that connection would also work in our favour.” Javotte Bethel the owner and operator of Javotte’s House of Couture, has been gainfully employed in the fashion industry for about 20 years and began designing at the age of 12, later making her own prom dress. After high school she studied at the International Fine Arts school of Miami where she obtained an associates degree in Fashion and Graphic Design. – – Please visit Javotte Bethel’s House of Couture on Facebook – –

Manish Arora delivered an avant garde Indian wedding collection for the bride with an attitude

Two back-to-back fashion weeks that were held recently in the capital – PCJ Delhi Couture Week and India Bridal Week – stand testimony to the fact that couture in India caters largely to the big fat Indian wedding. With the exception of a few designers who showcased some body-hugging gowns or light evening saris both events were high on trousseau and glamour. So couture creations that are meant to be bespoke, customised and hand-crafted “one-of- a-kind” creations were basically runways replete and overflowing with seriously

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” spans eight decades and depicts a spectrum of characters that could make any costume designer’s head spin: from a rural African-American field worker (portrayed by Mariah Carey) to a boozy-yet-stylish ’50s lady (Oprah Winfrey — whose character traverses all of the film’s decades as the wife of longtime White House butler Cecil Gaines) to iconic first ladies including Nancy Reagan (Jane Fonda) and Jacqueline Kennedy (Minka Kelly).

From Fonda to Reagan
In the film, 75-year-old Fonda is in close replicas to the real clothing of ’80s-era Nancy Reagan. “She loved red,” Ruth Carter, costume designer for “The Butler,” told Yahoo! Movies of Reagan. “A very vibrant tomato red — coined as ‘Reagan Red,’” said Carter, who mimicked the designs of Reagan’s favorite designers, including Bill Blass. Carter even replicated a gown Reagan wore to a state dinner.

It’s not only the clothes, but Fonda’s hair — which was coincidentally already in the right cut to play Reagan — and her makeup transformed the Oscar winner into a convincing facsimile of the former first lady.

But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any drama in assuming the role. Fonda managed to avoid a wardrobe catastrophe, Carter recalled, on her first day of filming: one of Fonda’s costumes went missing — and she was only scheduled to shoot for a few short days. “I was walking on pins and needles.” But Fonda made it work, swapping a costume intended for another scene while she waited for the missing outfit to arrive (and it did, as a frantic Carter actually flew it in). Close call.

Minka Kelly brings a Jackie Kennedy outfit to life in ‘The Butler’ (The Weinstein Company)

For Minka Kelly to pull it off as the stylish Mrs. Kennedy, Carter knew she had to pay attention to detail. “My main focus was to make sure the pink Chanel suit she wears when the [JFK] assassination happens is perfect,” said the costume designer. “Of course we want Jackie Kennedy’s look to be as iconic as it was in real life.” — >

This year’s Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2013-2014 saw a range of designers from a diverse range of backgrounds presenting their creations on the runway. Among them were China-born emerging designers Laurence Xu and Yiqing Yin, both of whom utilize traditional Chinese elements in their couture lines to create their own distinct aesthetics. Making his mark on the French fashion world, Xu held his first ever haute couture fashion show at Pavillon Cambon. Themed Xiuqiu, which literally means “embroidered ball” in Chinese, the show seamlessly integrated Chinese style and Western elements. As Women’s Wear Daily reported, Xu paraded highly embellished, — > Continue reading →

“It’s all cinema, it’s all from film,” said Jean Paul Gaultier, summing up haute couture. Paris’ enfant terrible seemed to have a point, speaking on the last day of fall-winter shows that have seen spectators transported from apocalyptic opera houses to the circus and flung across the four corners of the globe. Gaultier’s feline-infused couture collection – Wednesday’s highlight – took for inspiration Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini and “The Pink Panther.” The references merged with theatrical panache to produce once of his best shows in seasons. But the cinema continued throughout Wednesday. In Valentino’s encyclopedic show, continents and eras were merged and had Baz Luhrmann in delight.” Haute couture, like cinema, is unreal. It’s theatre – a romantic aspiration that’s more beautiful, more extraordinary than reality,” said the burlesque “Moulin Rouge” director who sat on the coveted front row.

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

With a delicious purr, Gaultier pounced back into top form with a feisty couture collection, proving that despite a couple of off seasons, he still has a lot of tricks up his embroidered sleeve. This fall-winter’s muse was the female panther, which inspired a slew of fresh ideas, including plenty of new ways to wear leopard and how to dress in feathers to look like a cat. If it sounds eccentric, it was. Leopard print featured cheekily on tights below one stylish all-black crepe dress, and there were several incredible couture coats. At first glance they looked like fur but were made entirely of feathers, speckled like a big cat pelt and with white feathers at the edges to resemble skin. Gaultier, ever the showman, ensured the wackiness infused the show’s presentation as well. Forty-three looks filed by to the infectious theme of “The Pink Panther,” showcased on models who clawed as they walked. Guests looked on from stalls divided into lionesses, panthers, lynx and leopards. Sometimes they applauded, sometimes they simply laughed. But aside from all the fun, there was some serious couture at work here. – – CLICK HERE to take a look at what we are talking about ::

Paris Fashion Week 2013 brought many unique, interesting, and inspiring looks to the runway. This is how they brought it to the streets!!! How do you feel about the Fashion Capital of the World sense of street style?

British designer Kim Jones drew from classic American imagery for his Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2014 collection, which ranged from patterned bandanas and khaki parkas covered in travel patches to preppy sportswear and 1920s-esque evening suits. “This was the American road trip, just enjoying and celebrating Americana from NASA through to the traditional things such as bandanas,” he said, speaking backstage. Silhouettes were typically well-tailored and masculine which, while sophisticated, left few creative surprises, but one piece that certainly caught the eye of the fashion crowd was a retro black silk jacket featuring the iconic LV monogram. Take a look below.

Keeping with the already-established midriff trend, this season’s little white dresses are all about the bits they’re missing. From Topshop Unique‘s sheer panels to Stella McCartney‘s sharp angles and lacy eyelets, these are summer frocks by way of paper snowflakes. Click through the gallery to see those, plus nine more, and three members of the cutout club spotted on the streets of New York.

*This article originally appeared in the May 27, 2013 issue of New York Magazine. (Slideshow)

In the latest Intersection we visited Chelsea during the Frieze Art Fair and spotted people who said their style influences range from their grandmothers to the avant-garde fashion company Comme des Garçons.